PLANS for a new convenience store in Thatto Heath have now been approved – after a decision was deferred twice.

Cordage 10 Ltd’s application proposing the erection of a convenience store served by a new vehicular access off Lowfield Lane and the creation of a shared car park for use by the convenience store and the retained public house, along with associated landscaping, came before the planning committee at its meeting in April.

It has been confirmed that the end user of the store will be Heron Foods.

The committee voted to defer a decision on the application at its meeting in April to allow members to carry out a site visit, in order to get further information and a wider understanding.

However, the committee again deferred a decision at a subsequent meeting as a site visit could not take place.

The scheme came before the committee again last week.

The application site is located at the junction of Elton Head Road and Lowfield Lane.

Currently, the site is occupied by part of the Boars Head public house car parking facilities and an area of vacant land to the rear.

The proposals would provide 35 new car parking spaces on land to the south of the existing public house, for customers of both the public house and the convenience store. This land is currently vacant land.

According to the report to members, this represents an addition of 10 spaces above the current provision for the public house.

Given that the car park will be shared between the two uses and that the peak trips to the public house are not expected to coincide with the peak trips to the food store, this provision is deemed ‘acceptable’.

A site visit took place last week. Cllr Richard McCauley, cabinet member for regeneration and planning, thanked committee members who carried out the site visit and said he hoped they found it "worthwhile".

He said he has concerns about cars still parking on Lowfield Lane, and highlighted the number of children that will be crossing the road in the area.

Furthermore, he asked if a guard rail could be put on the pavement, a continuation of the guard rail currently in place, to prevent cars parking there.

The scheme was approved by the committee subject to conditions, as recommended, with an extension to the guard rail to be required as part of the plans.